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Allows artist to reproduce the vivid and transparent colors and glowing surfaces associated with Baroque and Renaissance oil and panel paintings.

Alchemist painting mediums paint out thinly, allowing for special glazing effects not achievable with modern mediums, thus avoiding the yellowing and lowering in tone of paintings associated with thicker paint media.

Allows the artist to apply multiple layers vertically without waiting for the previous layer to dry.

Paint transparently as well as opaquely.

Create fine details far more effectively and without the use of tempera mediums such as egg, glue or casein.

Amber mediums are manufactured using traditional methods used in the XVI century.

Amber-based mediums create tough films, thereby eliminating the need of a separate final coat of varnish. The work is finished as it comes off the brush.

All oil mediums and Amber Varnishes will yellow overtime and our mediums and Varnishes are no exceptions.

Paintings done in Linseed and Walnut oils have remained stable for 600 + years.

Acrylic oil mediums do not yellow overtime but turn gray and being a product of modern chemistry have not been proven in the short span of time of there use to show the same permanence as those of linseed or walnut oil.

In order to counteract the effect of yellowing in there paintings the Flemish Masters applied their paints in thin layers.

Following their example we have based our mediums, on ancient recipes, so that they can be applied in ultra thin layers while at the same time resisting the effects of running and bleeding associated with the use of modern mediums.

Raymond White of the National Gallery, London, has found Amber Varnish in a well-preserved state, on a painting, entitled A Young Lady with a Fan, by the 17th century painter and student of Rembrandt, Ferdinand Bol

As a painting medium to create optical effects which are not possible using conventional painting mediums.

As an edition to freshly ground oil of tube colors. By adding a small drop of Amber Varnish to your tube paints of fresh ground oil colors, you will be able to harden and preserve the freshness of your oil film and assist in the blending of your oil colors (in the words of the Italian Baroque painter Orezio Gentileschi in the 17th century De Mayerne M.S, B.M. Sloane 2052, page 9 verso, “Speculations. M Gentileschi, an excellent Florentine painter, adds on the palette just a drop of Venetian amber varnish with which lutes are varnished mainly when painting flesh parts so that the white spreads and paints easily and also dries faster. By these means he works when he likes without waiting for the paint to dry completely; and although the varnish is reddish it still does not ruin the white. Vidi.) (See: Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting by Donald C. Fels 2002).

As a final Varnish. When used as a final varnish, Amber Varnish will protect the picture from the effects of solvents while preserving the colors and freshness. Amber Varnishes were commonly applied as a final varnish by early tempera and icon painters.

As an isolating varnish. When used as an isolating varnish, Amber Varnishes can be used as a teaching aid. To accomplish this, work on your painting until you have reached a dead end allow your painting to dry and coat all or part of it with Amber Varnish.

When the Amber Varnish is dry, paint on top of it, until you have reached the effect you want. Because of the ability of Amber Varnishes to resist solvents, any or all of the paint, applied on to the varnish can be simply wiped off with a rag if you don’t like the illusion. Once you have reach the effect you want let the paint film dry and recoat again with a thin coat of Amber Varnish.

Our Oil of Delft Painting & Grinding Medium is an essential oil of Varnish based on the recipe, found in the notebooks of Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641). In order to create a gelling effect in the lower layers of the paintings, the Flemish Masters often added an essential oil of Varnish to their paints while painting.

Our Oil of Delft Painting & Grinding Medium is designed to be used as a spreading agent and a substitute for the use of modern day solvents like spirits of turpentine and petroleum distillates used for painting and thinning oil paints, the use of which often causes paint films to run and bleed.

Artists mixing our Oil of Delft Painting & Grinding medium in the lower layers of their oil painting will be able to create a gelling effect in their paint film. This will allow them to model their paint, prevent their oil colors from running and bleeding, paint fine lines and details, and create a tacky paint layer upon which additional layers of wet oil paint can be applied.

Used in conjunction with our Oil of Delft Linseed Painting Mediums and/ or Amber Varnishes, painters will be able to apply as many as 5 layers of wet oil paint in 1 setting. (See step by step painting instructions on this website)

In order to prevent the running and bleeding of your oil films while painting with our mediums following the traditions of the Old Masters, it is important not to clean your brushes with solvents like spirits of turpentine, mineral spirits, turpenoid etc. while painting. If you need to clean a brush with solvents while painting it is important to wipe the brush clean and than dip the brush in to some linseed, walnut, or poppy oil in order to neutralize the effects of the solvents remaining in the bristle of the brush.

Note: Just the scent of solvent on the brush is enough to cause a paint film to run.

When you have finished painting you can clean your brushes in a solvent and wash with soap and water.

Our Amber Varnishes, Oil of Delft Linseed Painting, and/or our Baroque oil mediums will normally dry in a few days under dry conditions, by exposing your painting to the direct rays of the sun following the example of the Flemish Masters.

For artists working in damp or less than ideal condition cobalt or japan driers (Grumbaucher) of no more than 2% can be added.

Paintings done with our Amber Varnishes, Oil of Delft, and Baroque oil mediums can be made to dry in 1 day using a drying box containing ultra violet black light, florescence bulbs.

A diagram for constructing and obtaining the lights and materials for this box are supplied with each order of our mediums.

Yes, we are happy to answer any questions concerning the use of our mediums and the techniques of the Flemish Masters. This can be accomplished by contacting us by phone (see footer) or e-mail info@alchemistmediums.com